Craigdarroch Castle is no stranger to film productions, having been featured in major and minor movies, music videos and documentaries for decades.
However, the Castle is now gearing up to play host to a very special film project, grown right here in British Columbia, and showcasing some incredible talent from BC and beyond.
An old pal from my days in the world of film and theatre, the accomplished actor and director James Douglas- now the Manager of Visitor Experience and Public Relations for Barkerville Historic Town, approached me a few months ago with news of an exciting opportunity.
He and I share a passion for the world of Sherlock Holmes, and the work of Stephen King. James had heard of a program that Stephen King administers, called Dollar Babies. Essentially, anyone can pitch a plan to adapt one of King’s unlicensed short stories, and if the Dollar Babies team accepts it, King will grant permission for the adaptation at the cost of only $1.00. These rights are non-commercial, meaning that the Dollar Baby producers can raise money to make the film, and show it in festivals and non-profit events, but any commercial rights to the final product remain in King’s hands. King himself promises to watch every Dollar Baby film; he does not, however, promise to think it’s any good!
On a whim, James pitched an idea to Dollar Babies to adapt King’s contribution to the Sherlock Holmes universe- a short story entitled The Doctor’s Case, which appeared in his short story collection Nightmares and Dreamscapes. This story is told by Watson, now an elderly man, about the only case that he solved himself, by spotting a clue that even Holmes had overlooked! It is set in an old mansion in the 1880s, and naturally features a juicy murder and some serious family drama.
James’s pitch was accepted by the Dollar Babies team, and following a period of stunned delight, James has managed to procure a pretty substantial budget for the project- partly thanks to a Kickstarter campaign- and some well-known actors to bring the story to life. These include the marvelous Michael Coleman, who in addition to playing Happy on Once Upon a Time, is also supporting the project by allowing the use of his Vancouver production facility, SchoolCreative- Institute of the Arts.
You may also recognize Denise Crosby on screen, who famously played Tasha Yar on Star Trek: The Next Generation. There are a couple of other famous faces whose identities I cannot yet reveal.
Filming locations will include Emily Carr House, Barkerville Historic Town, and Cottonwood House, but of course there is no better Victorian mansion than Craigdarroch Castle to provide the backdrop to murder!
The Doctor’s Case will be shooting here for several evenings at the end of April, and we’re extremely excited to see how it all turns out. Keep your eyes peeled for cameo appearances from familiar faces too!
Kate Humble
Operations and Development Manager